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Level 2

161 points

Anyone able to play Amazon Instant Video using Apple Digital AV Adapter

Amazon just released the Amazon Instant Video app for the iPad July 31, 2012. Version is 1.0

It's not a great app yet. I can get it to play on the iPad (by itself). When I hook up the iPad to the TV using the Digital AV Adapter, the app gets very unstable, crashes at times, doesn't load shows....basically doesn't work. Virtually everything else on the iPad displays fine on the TV using the adapter. I've tried Safari, Netflix, and a couple of games just to see if the problem was with the iPad or the app. The problem is with the app.

I emailed Amazon support via feedback within the app, and got responses back similar to this:

"I'm so sorry for the trouble you facing with the Instant videos which you want to play on TV.

I understand now a days all the TV's are HDMI connected but I assure you that we are working for the improvements required on this field.

The Amazon Instant Video app for iPad does not support playback on HDMI-connected TVs.

Customer feedback like yours helps us continue to improve the service we provide. I've forwarded your feedback to our Amazon Instant Video team for consideration as we make future improvements."

I find it hard to believe they designed it to not work that way-I replied and asked them if it was...have not heard back yet.

Has anyone been able to view Amazon Instant Video on their TV from an iPad ? If yes, how did you do it.?

iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2010), Mac OS X (10.7.4), iPad2, 60GB iPod Photo, Hp j6480

Posted on Aug 9, 2012 3:17 PM

38 replies

kdetrano

Level 1

8 points

Dec 7, 2012 10:29 AM in response to pgoodwin

Try using a Remote Desktop like Splashtop. A sad workaround but if your laptop is handy put the Splashtop agent on it and the Splashtop app on your ipad.

pgoodwin Author

Level 2

161 points

Dec 7, 2012 4:43 PM in response to kdetrano

Good idea. I use Splashtop all the time, and never though about using it that way.

Dec 8, 2012 10:46 AM in response to pgoodwin

But if you have to have the laptop to accomplish that couldn't you just stream with the HDMI with the laptop and not bother with the iPAD? I feel like I'm missing an advantage somewhere.

kdetrano

Level 1

8 points

Dec 8, 2012 11:03 AM in response to dianafrommarietta

Diana,

Yup, you are right. It's only a workaround until (?) Amazon fixes the IPAD app.

Actually I use a stationary desktop PC in another part of the house--no laptop. Then I can hook my Ipad up to whichever of the HDMI TVs I want and stream from the PC at the other end of the house.

And if anyone wants to stream British TV/video, Acorn TV has great BBC series, $25/year. Skyfire browser app delivers it via the HDMI hookup easily and a simple two finger swipe makes it full screen.

Dec 8, 2012 11:24 AM in response to kdetrano

Yeah, I don't know how true it is, but I've read other streams where they say new app providers have a hard time getting compatible with Apple's codec formatting. I don't know if that's to prevent SPAM or make it harder to use non-Apple sources. All I know is it's a pain. It's challenging enough not being able to stream FLASH content, then these incompatibility issues on top of that.

Dec 8, 2012 1:20 PM in response to dianafrommarietta

However, I just downloaded Splashtop because there's a holiday special of $2.99 right now, so if I didn't like it nothing really lost. (Unlike the Firecore I wasted $30 on in January).

If you bring your apple TV with you you don't need to bother with the HDMI cord. You can download the Splashtop2 streamer to your laptop, the app to your iPad (or iPhone) for $2.99 right now, and I haven't tested it, but Streamer2 will even mirror movies you have downloaded and you can watch offline.

But, the real perk to me is that you can get the internet movie streaming and pause it, then connect your airplay to your ATV. Awesome! For $2.99! There was some buffering issues at first, so I suggest getting it set up then pause it for 15 minutes or so before beginning to play. I paused for about 5 minutes 3 times while streaming "Dexter", now in the second half of the show there are no buffering problems. And this is a streamed show, not a downloaded show! On top of that I have uVerse with 802.11 G, not N. The experience should be even better for those streaming in N bandwidth.

pgoodwin Author

Level 2

161 points

Dec 8, 2012 5:14 PM in response to dianafrommarietta

The only real issue with Splashtop has been that while it is running, it uses a LOT of your computers resources. In the earlier version, mine had a process running on the computer called SRFeature which consumed more than 80%. They've put out some fixes that have made things better. Mine's now down to 30% of so. Other people have said theirs is still very high. And laptop overheating can occur with steady operation at very high CPU utilizations. So once you get Splashtop going, look at your processes running and make sure the SRFeatuure isn't too high. They are still working on improving this. You can measure the temperature of your computer with a widget called Systat Pro (I think that's the name).

tex88

Level 1

13 points

Jul 2, 2013 1:49 PM in response to dianafrommarietta

Are you saying we can stream video from a Macbook (that has the SplashTop streamer), to an iPad (that has SplashTop2 app), and then to Apple TV?

This post on SplashTop's site says no:

https://support-splashtoppersonal.splashtop.com/entries/22275822-Can-I-stream-vi deo-and-pictures-to-Apple-TV-

Anyone able to play Amazon Instant Video using Apple Digital AV Adapter